Cirque de Gavarnie

Climbs 50 – Rocktype Ice – Altitude 1873m a.s.l – Faces N

Crag features
Famous cirque in the French Pyrenees. Many ice climbs up to 350m high come into condition in December - March. Home of France's first Grade 6 icefall, 'Thanatos', which was climbed in 1984 by local activist, Dominique Julien. Most routes are in the WI4 - WI5+ grade.

Access notes
From the village of Gavarnie, it is a steady 1.5 hour walk into the cirque. Gavarnie is less than 2 hours drive from Pau, which is serviced by low cost flights from London Stansted and Bristol. It is also possible to fly to Toulouse and Biarritz, which are 2-2.5 hours from Gavarnie.